Demographics of Young, Low-Income Children
Research suggests that, on average, families need an income of about twice the federal poverty level to meet their most basic needs. Children living in families with incomes below this level—$44,100 for a family of four in 2010—are referred to as low income. The United States measures poverty by an outdated standard developed in the 1960s.
Young Children in Alabama, by Income Level, 2010
In Alabama, there are 244,178 families, with 349,025 young children.
Young Low-Income Children: 52% (180,478) of young children live in low-income families (National: 48%), defined as income below 200% of the federal poverty level.
Parental Employment
Parents' Employment Status in Alabama, by Income Level, 2010
Parental Education
Young Children in Low-Income Families in Alabama, by Parents' Education, 2010
Parental Marital Status
Young Children in Single-Parent Families in Alabama, by Income Level, 2010
Child’s Race/Ethnicity
Young Children in Low-Income Families in Alabama, by Race, 2010
Child’s Age
Young Children in Low-Income Families in Alabama, by Age, 2010
Type of Residential Area
Young Children in Low-Income Families in Alabama, by Residence, 2010
Residential Move
Young Children Who Have Recently Moved in Alabama, by Income Level, 2010
Parental Nativity
Young Children in Low-Income Families in Alabama, by Parents' Nativity, 2010
Home Ownership
Young Children in Owner-Occupied Housing in Alabama, by Income Level, 2010
Parental Presence
Young Children Living in Families with No Parent Present, in Alabama, by Income Level, 2010
Data Notes and Sources
Last Updated: June 5, 2012
Some graphs may not be shown because of extremely small sample sizes.
Because of rounding, not all figures will add up to 100%.
National data were calculated from the 2010 American Community Survey, representing information from 2010. State data were calculated from the 2008-2010 American Community Survey, representing information from the years 2008 to 2010.
Definitions
- Low Income
- Families and children are defined as low-income if the family income is less than twice the federal poverty threshold (see Poor).
- Parent
- Among children who do not live with at least one parent, parental characteristics are those of the householder and/or the householder's spouse.
- Poor
- Families and children are defined as poor if family income is below the federal poverty threshold. The federal poverty level for a family of four with two children was $22,350 in 2011, $22,050 in 2010, and $22,050 in 2009.
- Young Child
- A young child is defined as an individual under the age of 6. Children living in group quarters and children living with only unrelated adults are excluded from these data.
The federal poverty guidelines are issued annually by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The demographic findings on this page were calculated using a more complex version of the federal poverty measure—the thresholds issued by the U.S. Census Bureau. For more information about federal poverty measures, see The 2010 HHS Poverty Guidelines.
For definitions of other terms, please refer to Explanations of Terms and Data Sources.